46.11 Shoeless' Diary -- Outfielder Prospects

[shoeless.db]

Dear Diary,
I'm not sure why the Popes don't have reporters trouncing around the countryside writing up fancy reports on our minor leaguers like those paper-pushers in Yellow Springs have. I was reading one of their rags who sent out some young buck who went position by position ranking all their top prospects. And here I sit, with my only knowledge of our prospects coming from obscure Reddit posts and the almost illegible snail-mail reports by our 93 year old head scout, Snake-oil Wallace. Christ, even the small amount of drivel I can actually read from that guy I don't believe. So, like everything else around here, I had to do the research myself. Here's what we have for outfielders working their way up:

It's almost impossible not be excited as a general manager looking at the slurry of outfielders within the organization, headlined by a trio of up and coming monsters: CF Wasim Ala', LF Okyay Nisanci, and RF Unem Ploid.

Ala' was acquired as a fresh pup as part of the trade that sent Popes' Ace Starting Pitcher Dani Garcia to Montreal. Despite having his development put on hold due to a torn ACL in August of 2045, the switch-hitting Ala' showed glimpses this past season as to why the young Egyptian is rated as the #5 prospect in the BBA. He was able to put up over 2 WAR while batting only .231 for Single A Hollywood, helped along by an OBP of .386 and above average range in center. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2048.

Writing the $18m check ($12m bonus, $6m penalty) for Nisanci back in January of 2044 was a tad stressful, but the lefty hitting left fielder has progressed nicely in three minor league seasons. He split time this past season between single A Hollywood and AA Bismarck, where Nisanci's sweet swing turned any remaining doubters of his talent into wide-eyed believers. He finished his time in AA slashing .319/.391/.509 over 253 plate appearances. He'll likely be asked to start the season in AA next year with a quick promotion to AAA if all goes well. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2048.

Ploid is the least developed of the three, having been just drafted this past season, but his abilities to get on first and steal second could net him both batting titles and stolen base titles at the BBA level. The hope is his superior contact skills will keep the right-handed hitting Ploid fully employed against both righties and lefties. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2049-2050.

Other notables:

Dallas Dixon -- Drafted in the first round of 2045, Dixon shows superior batting average abilities, but his subpar defensive acumen will force the Popes into the undesirable position of trading offense for defense, but without the power typically required for such a move. If nothing else, the right-hand-hitting Dixon will likely be used as a platoon partner for Nisanci. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2048.

Nyyrikki Joensuu -- Not just on the list for having three separate letters duplicated side-by-side in his name, Joennsuu is a viable injury replacement hitter from the left side of the plate. He was used for that exact purpose this season when the walking bandaid, Myeong-hwan Kim was felled by another injury. Ready Now.

Xinpeng Zhao -- Likely a super-utility candidate for years to come, Zhao (who I like to pronounce as Zorro) saw a bump to his outfield range this past season and may prove to be a viable platoon partner/rest-giver for Ala. Love guys like this. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2048 ... or 2047 as a thirdbaseman.

Adrian Nilsen -- Nilsen is one of those great problems to have. His overall ratings say he should be terrible, but his raw ratings as a lefty platoon hitter could bring multiple .300 seasons. May need to find the right trade partner for this guy to bring in an infielder of similar makeup. He 'only' slashed .320/.379/.452 in AA this season. Ready now.

Kyuichi Mori -- A solid performer from the right side. His biggest trouble will be seeing the field due to all the other guys listed above. A great injury replacement guy to have waiting in the wings. Estimated Arrival in Sacramento: 2048-2049.

Honorable Mentions: Xanthus Galonopoulas, Manny Ferreira, Allen Thomas, Alejandro Morales.